What size is right size for a Royal Enfield?

Admit it: You check out your reflection in store windows when you're riding your Royal Enfield. How cool do I look? Motorcyclists choose their jackets and boots as carefully as they choose the color of their motorcycle. Our personal appearance is a big part of the impression we give when we ride. And we're vain; we want it to be a good impression.

A vintage style motorcycle, the Royal Enfield Bullet is the same size today it was in 1949. Unlike a Honda Goldwing or Harley dresser, it can't be expanded to mini van size. People, on the other hand, come in all sizes, and Americans are bigger than most.

Is there such a thing as being too big (or too small) for a Royal Enfield?

It shouldn't be an uncomfortable question. If you like it, you want it, and you can ride it, that's your decision and I applaud it. If you're comfortable on the motorcycle, fine.

But if you're considering what motorcycle to buy, consider Jay Huffman, of Donie, Tex, who has a 2008 Royal Enfield Bullet for sale because "I am too tall for it at 6-foot-4."

Is that really too tall for a Royal Enfield? I wrote him to ask

"I really feel like the 'too tall' part is personal preference," Jay replied. It's not the only reason he is selling. "We are also in a very rural area and the top speed is not really fast enough for highway riding." Well, yes, Texas is a big place to get around at subsonic speeds.

Still, "I really feel large on the bike."

Selling will not leave Huffman without a Royal Enfield.

"I love the classic look of the Enfields, and love the 'big thumper' ride," he wrote. I am also the proud owner of a 1926 Royal Enfield RE351 in very good condition and runs good. I plan to keep it well preserved to pass on to the next generation of classic bike lovers someday."

That's fantastic!

But back to the height issue. Some people who viewed the movie Friday the 13th said star Jared Padalecki was too tall for the Royal Enfield he rode. The photo here is by April and Jason Oldag and was originally posted on the SFUniverse.com blog. I saw it on the Royal Enfield Buzz Blog. Does he look too tall to you?

In the movie, Padalecki plays Clay Miller, a character who goes to the doomed Camp Crystal Lake in search of his sister who has gone missing. According to his biography at imdb.com he is 6-feet 4-inches tall.

Looks OK to me.

Let's use a little computer magic to see what happens when the rider grows. Here is a picture of me in my very stylish yellow jacket (Yellow = International Color for "Chicken.")

Here I am at 5-feet 10-inches; average height for a U.S. male is only half an inch taller.

Here I am at 6-feet 4-inches. Not bad, huh? Hope my wife likes tall men.

This is me at a rather improbable 7 feet tall. No more leaning over the tank.